Wildfire News Of The Day (the Firebomber Publications blog) provides comprehensive international wildfire news. Subscribers include over 10,000 personnel from fire agencies, contractors, and government entities on five continents. "BEST NEWSLETTER I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY 32 YEARS IN THE FIRE SERVICE" - San Diego Fire Department Chief Brian Fennessy.

Friday, May 10, 2013

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 051013

Following Southern California's massive Springs Fire, our first article today provides some ideas on how to help with wildfire recovery in the Santa Monica Mountains (1); but with an early start to the wildfire season, Ventura County Fire Department advised horse owners to prepare for future evacuations (2); while Navy and Marine aircraft joined civilian firefighters in San Diego County's annual three-day wildfire exercise carried out at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton (3); the next article discussing how any reference to climate change being linked to wildfires across the state was absent from articles issued by several major news outlets (4). Lightning strikes ignited a dozen wildfires in Oregon's Umpqua National Forest (5); and as fire season begins tomorrow in Nevada, fire crews across the state are preparing for a busy summer (6). A helicopter assisted firefighters on the ground battling a 38-acre wildfire in Arizona's Coronado National Forest (7); but a defense lawyer may cop an insanity plea for a man who admits to starting six wildfires outside of Flagstaff (8). Despite an abundance of late-season precipitation, Colorado still remains in a drought, prompting the governor to urge residents to prepare for wildfire season (9); and warm, dry conditions have fire agencies in Utah on high alert as well (10). Fire crews struggled to contain a 56-acre wildfire that resulted from a controlled burn at Montana's Devils Tower National Monument (11). A half-acre wildfire near Escanaba highlighted the wildfire danger on Michigan's Upper Peninsula (12); but following two weeks of near-constant wildfires in Washington County, Maine, rainfall helped squelch the remaining blazes (13). Nearly one year after a North Carolina Air National Guard C-130 crashed fighting a wildfire in South Dakota, the 145th Airlift Wing is practicing for this year's wildfires in Wyoming (14). In Canada, British Columbia's Cariboo Fire Centre reported a small wildfire near Anahim Lake (15); while a 100-acre wildfire outside of Nordegg, Alberta, prompted Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development officials to alert residents to a possible evacuation (16). Evacuees in western New Brunswick have been allowed to go home as firefighters contained a forest fire, one of 290 that have burned in the province so far this year (17); even as cleanup efforts get underway in Salisbury (18); but firefighters quickly contained a small wildfire which broke out near a residential area in East Saint John (19). A five-hectare bushfire was reported in Australian Capital Territory's Uriarra Pine Forest (20); and a total of 74 Country Fire Authority firetrucks will participate in Victoria's $23 million crew protection retrofit program (21); while students in Melbourne's northern region plan to raise $500,000 to help Black Saturday bushfire survivors with counseling (22). Crookwell Rural Fire Service received a donation from some New South Wales lady bowlers to assist bushfire survivors (23); but a 450-hectare bushfire which destroyed one home in South Australia's Adelaide Hills continues to burn in rugged terrain (24). Efforts by Tasmanians to provide food and housing for animals impacted by January's bushfires are discussed in a radio segment (25). And finally, a firefighter in the UK had an un-bearable time of it when he was hit by a fire truck while in costume!